Weekend Adventures: October 4-6, 2013

BRADENTON - Fine art, great live music, a dairy farm festival and a book fair are all up for grabs this weekend. Bradenton’s Village of the Arts kicks off its October ArtWalk on Friday with a special “TIE ONE ON” event and opening night for “The Skeletons of Bone Valley” photography show. Ace’s Live will feature “Appalachian Rock” band Big Daddy Love on Friday night. Myakka City’s Dakin Dairy Farm has a bundle of fun family-friendly activities at its 5th annual farm festival on Saturday, and the 2nd Annual Sarasota Book Fair will run on the same day.

Celebrate the start of the Art Season with "TIE ONE ON" in Bradenton's Village of the Arts. Come and help us dress up the Village for the opening of the 2013/2014 Art Season by decorating fences throughout the Village with neck ties.

Get those old ties out of the back of your closet and "Tie One On" to your favorite fence in the Village or choose one of ours from tie tables throughout the Village provided by the Manatee Memorial Auxiliary Thrift Shop in Bradenton.

Ties on fences will be on display until the following weekend when all ties will be donated back to the Thrift Shop.

Don't miss this FREE, family fun event. Let your hidden creativity loose and "Tie One On" in the colorful, funky Village of the Arts. Always the most happening and colorful place in town!  

October ArtWalk

Friday, October 4 (6-9:30pm) and Saturday, October 5 (11am-4pm)

The Village of the Arts

1113 12th Street West

Bradenton

Also featured at this weekend’s ArtWalk is the opening reception for “The Skeletons of Bone Valley”, organized by Award-Winning local Photographer and Curator Matt Allison and featuring a talented group of local artists. The show will be held at the Manatee County Cultural Alliance, in Bradenton's Village of the Arts, from October 4th until the 31st, with an opening reception on October 4th from 6pm to 9pm.

Allison's newest show features fine art photography from 6 photographers, including himself. The show will feature still life and landscape photography of Florida's phosphate country, which is often referred to as Bone Valley. 

Many of the artists Matt Allison selected for this collection are coming to the MCCA with new work. Fresh off the success of The Sarasota History Center Museum's showing of Florida in Context by Virginia Hoffman, these artists are thrilled to show their vision of Bone Valley. Both Allison and Hoffman will be featured lecturers for The Historical Society of Sarasota County, at Venice's Crocker Memorial Church on October 8th, where the topic will be the preservation of Florida history. 

The photographers features in this show will be Matt Allison, Virginia Hoffman, Brian Braun, Richard Porter, DaleAnn Clancy, and Bill Camarota.

The Skeletons of Bone Valley - Opening Reception

Friday, October 4

6-9pm

The Village of the Arts

1113 12th Street West

Bradenton

Big Daddy Love

Western North Carolina quintet Big Daddy Love will be playing Friday night at Ace’s Live! The band’s “Appalachian Rock” musical style will enthrall goers to their weekend performance, just as it has all over North America. For more information about the band, go to www.BigDaddyLove.com. Tickets for this non-smoking show are $5.

Big Daddy Love at Ace’s Live

Friday October 4

9pm

Ace’s Live

4343 Palma Sola Blvd
Bradenton

The Myakka City-based Dakin Dairy is celebrating its 5th successful year of agritourism with a fun-filled Farm Festival on on Saturday, October 5. In 2008 Dakin Dairy opened the farm to the public and added a farm tour path, a farm fun play area, and a milk bottling facility adjacent to the milking parlor.

The family-friendly event will take place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and will feature a Mac & Cheese Cook-Off and a 5K Ranch & Kids Run, plus an assortment of games, food, artists, prizes for all ages, live music featuring Kim Betts & Gamble Creek Band, and demonstrations on Himalayan Salt Cooking, care for plants and fruits, and goat soap making. Admission is just $15 for all attendees.

The event will include an exciting collection of local agri-vendors, such as Manatee Cluck, Slow Food Greater Sarasota, Tropical Fruit Society of Manatee & Sarasota, Florida Native Plants, and more. 

Other attractions include cow train rides, a farm tour, a five-acre “Farm Fun” play area, a five-acre maze, pony rides, face painting, hayrides, and a corn hole contest. 

“We are thrilled to celebrate our fifth year of sharing the many blessings that come from owning and operating a farm,” said Karen Dakin, owner of Dakin Dairy Farms. “We love that we have been able to share our little world with those who wouldn’t otherwise have access to a working farm.”

The Mac & Cheese Cook-Off is open to both individuals and restaurant chefs who want to compete for the best homemade macaroni and cheese dish. Mouthwatering ribs, tender pulled pork, roasting hot dogs and homemade coleslaw will be on the featured menu to complement the Mac & Cheese tasting and judging from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 

The first place winner of the cook-off has their choice of a $200 cash prize or one gallon of fresh Dakin Milk per week for one year. Registration for the Mac & Cheese Cook-off is available online at DakinDairyFarms.com and runs until September 28, 2013. The $25 entry fee for individual registrants includes the price of admission to the Farm Festival. Restaurant chefs are charged no fee for entry.

The winning restaurant entrant will be based on the amount of donations received throughout the contest, which will benefit Harvest House and LivetheLife.org. 

Cosponsored by Fit2Run on University Parkway, the 5K Ranch & Kids Run offers adults and children a chance to run the scenic property at Dakin Dairy Farms. The first 40 runners to finish will be awarded a keepsake trophy, and all to participate receive a free pint of fresh Dakin Milk following the race. All kids receive a participation medal. 

The Kids Run entry fee is $15, and the 5K fee is $30, both of which include the price of admission to the Farm Festival. Registration for the 5K Ranch & Kids Run is available at Fit2Run on University Parkway or online at DakinDairyFarms.com. The first 100 runners to register will get a free event T-shirt. Half of all Macaroni & Cheese Cook-Off and run entry fee proceeds will benefit Harvest House Transitional Center and LiveTheLife.org.

5th Annual Dakin Dairy Farm Festival

Saturday October 5

10am-5pm

Dakin Dairy Farms

30771 Betts Road

Myakka City

The 2nd Annual Sarasota book fair is almost here! Free to the public, the fair will be hosted by Art Center Sarasota, and will feature local authors and illustrators with books for both the young and the old 

Over 30 writers and illustrators will be present to meet and talk to people attending the event. There will be a room set aside as a children's reading room for our creative children's authors to read to the children and answer questions.

As Bradenton author Brenda Spaulding says: ”Children and adults are sure to find something interesting from this great group of local independent writers and illustrators. Come out for this unique opportunity to meet and talk to these wonderful creative writers and illustrators!”

2nd Annual Sarasota Book Fair

Saturday October 5

10am-3pm

Sarasota Art Center

707 North Tamiami Trail

Sarasota